|
|
| Camp at 12,900’ on the upper West Rib, Kahiltna Peaks in the foreground and Mt. Foraker in the background. |
The West Rib
On July 16th, the weather was excellent again, and I continued up the northeast fork. Weaving through heavily crevassed sections, I remarked that in possibly two more weeks the route would be impassable due to melting snowbridges. Around 6pm, I finally reached a safe spot just below the access gulley and had a short lunch break. Imposing unclimbed granite walls and spires towered above. I then packed my skis, skins, and poles on my giant pack, cramponed up, and started up the 2,000’ gulley that accesses the West Rib proper. There had been little in the way of new snow, so the 40°-50° gulley was mostly ice. Frontpointing up was straightforward but difficult on the calves to say the least. Mid-way up I chanced to witness a rescue on the Cassin, just a little further up the valley. Apparently a couple Britts dropped some ice on an American party below them at the start of the Cassin. One of the Americans received a chunk in the leg, and although he was not seriously injured, he was unable to continue climbing. His partner and the Britts lowered him down to a flat spot below a bergschrund where he was airlifted out with a military helicopter (see accidents in North American Mountaineering). The two Britts and the remaining American teamed up to attempt the West Rib instead, and they would be the only other people I saw on the route.
|
|
| Camp at 12,900’ on the upper West Rib, Kahiltna Peaks in the foreground and Mt. Foraker in the background. |
By around midnight, thoroughly exhausted, I finally reached the top of the gulley and excavated a campsite at 12,900’. I had initially hoped that I would see traces of an earlier guided party that had set off for the West Rib and thus not have to excavate platforms, but I later learnt they had turned around before even getting to the gulley. I slept well that night and on the 17th awoke around 1pm to another alpine start. Some clouds were moving in from the west, but they were relatively thin, and the weather report on the radio called for continuing good weather. As I climbed towards a higher camp at 13,900’, I noticed the Britt/American party coming up from below. I welcomed their company and we set up camp behind a big chunk of serac that had fallen long ago. The rib broadened now somewhat and was composed of relatively straightforward snowslopes up to about 35°. There were numerous small crevasses though, and on more than one occasion I put a leg through one.
 |
| Camp at 13,900’ on the upper West Rib where it temporarily broadens. |
On the 18th, I got up earlier and started up steeper snow covered ice slopes to reach the main rocky crest of the West Rib. Travelling in a whiteout all day, I reached the rocky crest at 15,800’ where it was possible to ski down to the 14,400’ camp on the West Buttress route on the north side of the ridge. This is where I would cache my skis, tent and extra gear. So, I skied down in the cloud-covered snowy darkness and found the camp around midnight. Luckily an earlier guided party trying to reach the rib from the West Buttress camp had wanded the lower portion of the route from the 14,400’ camp to the West Rib, or else I likely would not have found the camp that night.
|
